The BJP, which was not an invitee to the international conference to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru organised by the Congress, on Monday wondered at the Congress’s guest list, saying why those who stood for “complete negation of Nehruvian politics” were “part of party’s show of strength” here at a symposium.
“Dr Ram Manohar lohia stood for complete negation of Nehruvian politics. He rejected Panditji’s politics during his lifetime. The left’s anger against Panditji was further fuelled by the invocation of Article 356 to dislodge the first ever democratically elected Communist Government led by EMS Namboodripad in Kerala. Those who rejected Panditji’s politics in his lifetime, are a part of the ‘show of strength’ at this symposium,” said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
He said the symposium is being attended by some who rejected Nehruvian politics during Panditji’s lifetime and others whom Panditji may have ideologically disinherited.
The symposium on the 125th anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru is being attended by Congress leaders, some international dignitaries besides a few lohiates and Communists.
Citing the presence of left leaders and members of splinter groups of erstwhile Janata Dal, who are proponents of lohia’s ideology, at the conference, senior BJP leader and Jaitley said both groups were opposed to the Nehruvian policies in the lifetime of the country’s first Prime Minister.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Jaitley asked, “Has the guest list been influenced by the current depleting fortunes of the Congress PartyIJ”
Mamata Banerjee of TMC, Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury from CPI(M), former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, CPI’s D Raja, NCP general secretary D P Tripathi attended the two-day conference organised by Congress on Nehru’s 125th birth anniversary.
In her subtle attack on the BJP in her opening remarks, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Nehru’s ideas were under threat from “misrepresentation and distortion”.